Illinois Summers Bring Hoverflies and Sweat Bees, Here’s How to Tell Them Apart

Hoverflies and sweat bees become a big nuisance in Illinois when the weather is hot and muggy, but do you know the difference between the two?

Hatred For Things That Sting

Here are two truths about me: I hate anything that stings, and I really hate being hot and sweaty.

The last few days have been brutally hot in Illinois, and I had to be outside in it for multiple sport games. I was absolutely miserable, but there was one constant thing I think I hated even more than the heat: the dang sweat bees constantly buzzing all around me.

In the midst of my sweaty, stinky, crabbiness I was incapable of keeping my discomfort silent, so when I continuously vocalized "I HATE THESE DANG SWEAT BEES" my husband responded with: "Calm down, they're not sweat bees, they're hoverflies".

Excuse me? Aren't "sweat bee" and "hoverfly" two words that describe the same thing? Nope. They are in fact two very different insects, and I had no idea.

Hoverfly Vs. Sweat Bee

If you've always thought striped yellow and black things are always bees, (I sure did) here's some good news for you:

Here are some more major differences between a hoverflies and a sweat bees according to AZ Animals:

• Hoverflies are hairless with bright black and yellow abdomens and large dark eyes, sweat bees are fuzzy with metallic-colored heads and thoraxes.
• Hoverflies have two wings, sweat bees have 4. (Keep this in mind: two wings fun, four wings, run)
• Hoverflies hover around you, sweat bees land aggressively on you.

Here's a side-by-side visual comparison:

Both of these insects are highly annoying this time of the year in Illinois, but only the tiny, fuzzy, shiny one is capable of stinging you. Keep that in mind the next time you're about to have an unnecessary panic attack in your backyard.